Brekky Wrap: Runner Strangles Mountain Lion With Bare Hands

All the news you need to know this Thursday,

The damage bill is rising in Townsville as floodwaters continue to recede. At least 20,000 homes have been inundated, with some suburbs still waterlogged. The Insurance Council of Australia has so far received 6,500 claims worth $80 million. The number is expected to soar to $1 billion in the coming the weeks.

A lightning strike is being blamed for a house fire in Preston, Victoria. The home was gutted at about 7.30pm on Wednesday as wild storms lashed Melbourne. SES crews responded to more than 200 calls for help while thousands of homes lost power.

It’s been revealed more than 500,000 Australians are missing out on Medicare rebates worth $ 110 million. It’s simply because people haven’t provided their bank account details.

People in the town of Marysville are set to return to the oval where they found shelter from the Black Saturday bushfires exactly 10 years since the disaster. Some who escaped the fires found safety at the Gallipoli Park oval, while their town burned around them. It’s just one of many memorial events being held across Victoria to pay tribute to the 173 people who lost their lives in the 2009 disaster.

Thailand is blaming Australia for the detention of refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi, 25, claiming it only detained the Melbourne-based al-Araibi after an Interpol Red Notice alert was issued by Australia.

A runner who was attacked by a mountain lion killed the animal by strangling it to death in Colorado. The man was on a trail run on Monday when the cat pounced on him from behind and bit his face and wrist. The man also suffered puncture wounds to his arms, legs and back. Incredibly, the runner fought off the lion and managed to suffocate it before hiking to safety with his injuries. He then took himself to a nearby hospital.

The cat pounced on the man from behind. Image: Getty Images.

An eight-storey building has collapsed in Turkey. At least one person is dead and four others trapped underneath the debris of the structure. Emergency services are working to free people from underneath concrete slabs. The cause of the collapse is still unknown